The NCAA Division 1 college basketball March Madness is just around the corner. With plenty of time before the tournament kicks off, you can still research and build your bankroll before you bet. Here’s an added thrill—Sportsbet.io gives you a chance to win a 1 million jackpot if you’re the lucky bettor of March Madness!

What’s the best way to prepare for March Madness sports betting? That would be to brush up on your knowledge about the tournament! Here are some fun facts about the March Madness tournament, giving you insights to make exciting yet smart bets.

NCAA champions usually reach their conference semi-finals
Over the years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments have seen multiple champions. Most of them were season favourites, but there were also underdogs rising against the odds. All of them have at least made it to the semi-finals of their respective conferences in the same season.

This is significant because teams can win at-large bids for March Madness even if they don’t perform strongly in their conference competitions. The organisation’s metrics for deciding who joins the NCAA championship is usually based on the regular season.

The NCAA conference semifinals are scheduled a week before the National Division 1 tournaments. Keep your eyes glued to the standings list to see who advances and who is eliminated.

The most successful men’s teams are underdogs in the 2025 March Madness
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins hold the record for the most NCAA Division 1 championship titles, with 11 titles, but their last win came in 1995. While they remain one of the most storied programs, they have struggled to secure another title since. The best they’ve gone so far is reaching the finals in 2006 before losing to the Florida Gators.

For the 2025 March Madness, their recent form is a better predictor of success. Based on the last five seasons, the top 3 championship contenders are the Connecticut Huskies, Purdue Boilermakers, and the San Diego State Aztecs.

Though UCLA remains competitive within the Big Ten conference, their odds for a 2025 comeback remain moderate. Current predictions place the Bruins around the top 29 or 30 choices for a Division 1 title. They also face low odds for a top 4 finish or conference title in outright betting.

The 11th seed in Round 64 has the best winning percentage since 2016
The 11th seed is the only seed from 10th or higher numbers with a winning percentage of more than 50%. As of writing, after NC State reached the Final Four stage of March Madness 2024, the current win rate for 11-seed teams is 18 wins and 14 losses, resulting in a 53.6 % success rate. NC State became the sixth 11-seed team in history to make it that far in Division 1.

Given this trend, betting on the 11-seed team in March Madness 2025 could be a smart underdog strategy. Look forward to which team will get the 11th seed on Selection Sunday on March 16. If you see the fixtures ready as early as possible, you can place future bets and have the opportunity to hedge your wagers until opening day.

Only two 16-seed teams have won against a 1-seed
Since seeding was introduced, only two teams seeded 16th have ever beaten a 1-seed team in the First Four stage. These teams were the UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) Retrievers in 2018 when they defeated the Virginia Cavaliers and the Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) Knights in 2023 when they upset the Boilermakers. This makes the overall record for 1-seeds in these matchups 154-2.

It is thrilling to imagine another 16-seed team winning in March Madness 2025, but history suggests it’s a long shot. There is only a 1.28% winning percentage against 1-seeds in the NCAA tournament. As with all top basketball leagues, March Madness 2025 is a highly competitive tournament where the top-seed team is expected to dominate the lowest-seed.

290 teams attempted 20+ three-pointers last season
Competition inspires betterment in everyone, but sometimes, the change from last season to the next is astounding! Such a case happened when the NCAA kept track of teams that attempted 3-point shots (threes) at least 20 times in March Madness 2024 and recorded 290. This was the highest number of teams to reach this milestone in NCAA history.

More teams have grown more reliant on threes, which has influenced their training and athlete selection over the years. As we look ahead to March Madness 2025, expect teams to continue this trend. Bettors should anticipate a high frequency of winning bets for total points scored and three-point attempts this season.

The women’s UConn Huskies had 6 perfect championships
The UConn Huskies are currently the most formidable teams in the NCAA for both men’s and women’s divisions. They’ve won their 6th title in the men’s March Madness 2024 and 12th title in the women’s March Madness 2022. It’s worth noting that the women’s team had six undefeated championship seasons. These perfect campaigns occurred in the following years:

・ 1995
・ 2002
・ 2009
・ 2010
・ 2014
・ 2016

No other team in the women’s division has achieved more than one undefeated season. The Texas Longhorns only managed it once in 1986, and the same happened for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in 1998. On the men’s side, the last perfect championship was accomplished by the Indiana Hoosiers in 1976.

NCAA approved a new financial structure to support women’s teams in 2025
The women’s March Madness event has not received the same level of financial support as the men’s event. However, that changed in 2025 when the NCAA approved a new structure offering the women’s team equal financial support to what the men have had for years.

This new structure was passed with a unanimous vote at the NCAA convention in January 2025. It is set to take effect immediately for March Madness 2025, the upcoming tournament. Under the new system, it offers a renewed passion for women’s basketball between athletes and investors alike.

Performance-based payouts will be given to women’s teams playing in March Madness 2025, with a collective $15 million awarded to teams in the first year. Conferences with teams reaching the Final Four receive estimated payouts of up to $1.26 million over the next three years. Expect to see a livelier women’s March Madness than ever before moving forward.